Apparatus for regenerating vitiated air.



G. P. JAUBERT. APPARATUS FOR REGENERATING VITIATED AIR.

AIPLIOATIOH FILED AUG. 22, 1907.

Patented Jul WITNESSES:

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE rRANoo'Is JAIUBERT, or IJARISQFRANGE.

'APPARATUS FOR REGENEBATING VITIATED AIRt To all whom-it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE FRANCOIS JAUBERT, a citizen of the Swiss Republic, residing at 155 Boulevard Malesherbes, Paris, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Apparatus for Regenerating Vitiated Air, of'which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its objectnieansfor regeneratingiair viti'ated by respiration, par.- ticularly in submarine vessels, and this at any temperature, evenbelow the normal teinperature.

Suggestions have already been made for purifying-air vitiated by res iration and also or regenerating it by emp oying certainalkaline peroxide, such as peroxid of sodium, Na- O or of sodium-potassium, NaKO,', both" of which under the influence of-water vapor; and ofthe carbonic acid contained in the vitiated air are decomposed, retaining these impurities and liberating 'gaseous oxygen. These peroxids with a sodium base: present the great defect of absorbing a large quantity of water in a cold state without liberating oxygen. Moreover, the carbonic acid acting upon these hydrates with a peroxid of sodium base decomposes them on the surface only each particle at once becomes }surrounded by a layer of crystallized carbonate of sodium, and the reaction st ops, the central part of each'particle' of peroxid remaining unattached. The present invention obviates these defects.

In the accompanying drawing, which represents by way of example a constructional form of ap aratus for carrying out the proc-. ess applie. to a submarine vessel Figure 1 is a vertical section through one element oftheapparatus. Fig. -2 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus as a whole mounted on a submarine vessel. Fig. 3 is a central sectionon a larger scale of one of the cartridges.

The inventor has recognizedgthat peroxid' of potassium obtained as pure as possible, for example by the process d escribed'in' the applicants co-pending' application Ser. No. 373,995 filed 16th May, 1907, Manufacture ofperoxid oi otassium ormixtures'containing the same decomposes under the influence of water vapor in a cold statelprobably owingto the local heat liberated by the hydration) giving gaseous oxygen and hydrate "of potassium, which under the influence of S ecification of Letters Patent. Application filed, August 22,

thecarbonic acid gives deliquescentcarbon- Patented July 2/7,.909. 190.7; -eri'a1No. 389,722.

ate of potassium, which ci ystallires without of the present invention consists in causing the air vitiated by respiration and containing carbonic acid and watervapor to pass in the forrp of an appropriatelydirected current ove peroxid of potassium at the surrounding tem perature, so that, by decomposing in this manner, under the influence of the water vapor, the peroxid of potassium, there is produced gaseous oxygen enriching the air, and hydrateofpotassium which absorbs the carbonic acid, theoxygen is restored to the air and the I carbonic ac d eliminated.

i In the apparatus represented in the drawing, each element (Fig. '1.) comprises a numher (seven for example) of cartridges a, each composed of acylindrical metal case closed by two weak ends 6 and c and containing peroxid of potassium; The peroxid of potassium is separated into two masses. each of which is inclosed within a frame-work made up of metal strips 2 extending between annular-bafile-plates z, and inclosing the'separating perforated metal washers e coated with asbestos. separated by, interposed blocks 2 "lhese cartridges are arranged between two plates f and "g which terminate two pipes, one of' which h sup-plies the vitiate'd air while the other i serves for the discharge of this air after it has been regenerated; Each of the plates f and g is rovidedwith a number of tubular sockets equal to the number of cartridges a, and terminating in; the crowns m having a serrated edge and (resting upon layers of asbestos m for retaining any impurities contained in the air which passes through. The. tubular sockets 7c are also provi ed with openings 17. and pass through the ends band 0 of the cartridges '0', thus placing the interior of these cartridges in communic'ation with the pipes h and i. To permit of arran ing the cartridges in position, the pipe his hxed to the-movableparto'of an elbow fi'xed by a socket p to an air supply pipe. The upper pipe i passes through a stu'fiing-box In a sleeve 8 screwed to the pipe u and issubject-ed to the action of a spring)? bearingupon the extremity of the ipe u. A hand lever v ivoted at rto the s eeve s and engaging with tiunnions y fixed to the pige 2' enables this latter to be lifted.

11 order to change the cartridges a, the

lhe two fram'e works are" plate f is raised by means of ,the lever 1;, thereby releasing the sockets ll: from the car-- tridges a. The apparatus is then caused to turn about the pipe g; the spent cartridges are' removed, and replaced by fresh ones,

force pi e ofa tan 5 supplying the vitiated air, an then by the intermediary of another .similar cock 6 with a discharge pipe for the regenerated air.

ran ed in such a manner that it is able to place the air admission pipe 19 in communication with one of the pipes 7, 8 and 9 respectively leading to the groups of cartridges 1, 2 and 3, and similarly the cock 6 is able to place the dmcharge pipe 20 in com- .munication with each oi the exhaust pipes 10, 11 and 12, of these groups. The pipe 13 provided with a cook 14 branches oh the pipe 10 and term'inatesat the pipe 8. Similarly a pipe 15 provided with a cook 16 connects the-pipe 11 with the pipe 9, and a pipe 17 with a cock 18 places the pipes 12 and 7 in communication.

The operation is as follows :-',In order to regenerate the vitiated air drawn in by the fan 5 the three-way cock 4 is arranged in such a manner as to send this air through the pipe 7 into the group 1 for example. The cook 14 opened, the cooks 16 and 18 being closed, and the three-way cock 6 is arranged in such a manner as to placethe pipes 11 and 20 in communication. The air coming from the ipe 19 passes through the'pipe 7 becomes reed-from its carbonic acid and its water vapor in the group 1 in producing a liberation of oxygen, then passes through the pipe 13 into the group 2 where its purification is completed and it becomes charged with a fresh quantity of oxygen. The completely regenerated air issues through the pipe 11 and re turns into the atmosphere of the ship through the pipe 20. ll'he'n' thegroup 1 of cartridges 'is exhausted, the cook 14 is closed, the cock 1 so;

is arranged in such a manner as to place the pipe 19 in communicatlon with the-pipe S,

the cook 16 is opened and the pipes 12 and 20 are placed in communication.

air then follows the pipe 19, the group 2, the pipe 15, the group 3, and then passes mto the atmosphere through the pipes 12 and 20.

Finally, when the group 2 is exhausted, the

cock 16 is closed, the cock 18 is opened, plac- Th'e cock 1 is ar- The vitiatcd ing the pipes 19 and 9 and the pipes 10 and 20 incommunication, and the purification of the air takes place in the same manner 111 the .pipe'l), the group 3, the plpe 17 and the group tridges.

seam e quantity of water vapor existing in the air to be regenerated 1s eltectively employed for decomposing the peroxid of potassium in- ;stead of being lost for the greater part (9/1Gths) in becoming bound in the form ct 2* water of crystallization as is the case with products having a'soda base. Carbonate of potassium being deliquescent dissolves grad ually, and never forms a hard crust inclosing the grains of peroxid to withdraw them from the action of the water vapor and of the carbonic acid. The peroxid of potassium thus permits of regenerating in a cold state large volumes of air at the ordinary tern erature, and even at a lower temperature w iile heretofore it has been necessary to assist the de composition of peroxid of sodium or of sodium-potassium by heat (contained in the latent state in the Water vapor issuing from the lungs at 37). The regeneration of the air issuing from the apparatus is as complete as possible, as this air has traversed two applianoes containing peroxid of potassium at different degrees of activity.

This process is advantageously applicable to the regeneration of-air in large spaces, particularly in the submarine vessels where the air is greatly cooled by the walls and'where the greater part of the water vapor iscon densed by the cold surface of the hull.

Having now particularly described and as certained the nature of my'said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. An apparatus for the chemical purification of air, comprising a system of conduits through which the air is passed, and a cartridge receptacle interposed in said system, said receptacle carrying projecting tubular sockets terminating in crowns having a serrated edge, and cartridges having weak ends adapted to be pierced by the serrated crowns and containing a purifying chemical.

2 An apparatus for the chemical purification of air, comprising a conduit for leading the air to the purifying apparatus, a perforated plate closing the end of said conduit, a second conduit for leading off the purified air, a perforated plate closing the end of said conduit, and means for separating and bringing together again said plates, whereby cartridges containing purifying chemicals may be clamped between the perforations in the plates, and the air passed through said cartridges.

An apparatus for the chemical purification-of air, comprising a conduit for leading the air to the purifying apparatus, and a scond conduit for leading the air from said r trying apparatus, a perforated plate clos- 5 ing the end of each conduit, tubular sockets V terminating 1n serrated crowns pro ;ect1 ng 1 which has been provided with fresh carfrom said plates, means for separating said f plates and bringing them together again, and. The advantages are as follows :The small cartridges having weak ends adapted to be clamped between the plates and perforated by the serrated'crowns.

4. An apparatus for the chemical purification of air, comprising a conduit for leading the air to the purifying apparatus, and a second conduit for leading the air from the purifying apparatus, perforated plates, arranged one above the other and closing the ends of the respective conduits, the lower )late being supported for movement from beneath the upper plate, and means for raising and lowering the upper plate, whereby cartridges containing purifying chemicals.

may be placed above the perforations on the lower-plate and clamped in position between said plates.

5. An apparatus for the chemical purifica-' tion of air comprising a conduit for leading the air to the purifying apparatus, and a 20 second conduit for leading the air from the purifying apparatus, the ends of said conduits being arranged one above the other,

and the end of the under conduit being so ported for movement from beneath t e upper conduit, a perforated plate closing the end of said under conduit, tubular sockets projecting from said plate and communicating with the perforations, and crowns at the upper ends of said sockets, a telescoping tube fitting within the end of the upper conduit, means for raising and lowering said tube, and a perforated plate closing the end of said tube and carrying-projecting tubular sockets terminating in serrated crowns, whereby cartridges having weak ends may be clamped between'said plates and perforated bv the serrated crowns.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto placed my hand at Paris this tenth day of August 1907.

GEORGE FRANQOIS JAUBERT In the presence of two witnesses:

Hanson C. COXE, ALBERT N UNEs. 

